Chapter Text
Midnight had long since settled over the Mathers Manor, wrapping the grand estate in dead silence.
Before making his way out toward the forest, Subaru had one quick detour to make because of one issue. Subaru had no weapons yes during the time after sloth one of the other butlers Clind had taken to him training him in the way of a whip but something told him that a leather Whip wouldn’t help him here.
So what was the solution? Steal form Roswaal ofcourse. Slipping quietly down the east wing corridor, he cracked open the heavy oak door leading into Roswaal's secondary armory—a room mostly reserved for decorative heirlooms, old knightly gear, and ceremonial weapons the Margrave had accumulated over centuries.
"Subaru, if we are caught pilfering the lord's collection, even Betty will find it tiresome to explain, in fact," Beatrice whispered, floating right at his shoulder.
"It's not pilfering, Beako, if anything he owes me and i doubt he would care anyway…espically since he was awake when we walked pasted him.” Subaru whispered back, scanning the weapon racks carelessly as Beatrice looked at Subaru Surprise.
“You could tell and still continue.” Beatrice Hissed. “I’m pretty sure Roswaal doesn't care what I do unless it has something to do with his Teacher, his reputation or something that ruins his plans.”
“And besides Guiltywhip is great for crowd control and grappling, And i need to kill these Monster in the dungeon and who knows if that have magic nullification or something like that”
His eyes landed on a wall display hidden behind a velvet curtain.
“They make these here?”
Resting on a velvet cushion was a dark, matte-black weapon unlike any standard sword in Lugunica.
It was a compact whip-sword—a shortened, single-handed variant of a heavy dragon-serpent blade. Its dark metallic spine was split into dozens of interlocking, razor-sharp segments held together by a high-durability mana wire running down the center.
When held as a sword, the segments locked together flush, creating a rigid, deadly edge. But with a flick of the wrist, the mechanism loosened, allowing the blade to extend out like a jagged, steel whip.
"Whoa..." Subaru's eyes sparkled as he carefully lifted it from the display. He gave it a light flick—clack-clack-clack-SHRRK! The flexible metal teeth extended and snapped back together seamlessly in his grip.”This is so cool we're taking this!”
[Item:Segmented Serpent Whip-Sword]
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Category: Blade/Whip
Attack Power +25
A Whip-Sword made from Scales of a Elgina within the Vollachia Empire’s Buddheim Jungle. Can switch between 'Blade Form' and 'Whip Form'.
Buff: Elgina Armor Scales: + 10 Defense
Buff: Elgina serpent Tali :10% bonus slashing damage when extended
"A trick weapon forged in the Southern Empire..." Beatrice observed, tilting her head. "A bit complex for a novice, but given your current stats, your wrist control should handle it easily, I suppose."
"Into the inventory it goes," Subaru grinned, storing the weapon with a light tap of his mind before creeping back into the hallway.
Sneaking out of the mansion was supposed to be easy. With Subaru's Agility sitting at 17 and his steps completely silent, and the fact with [Soul Resonance] could talk using their contract, they easily made it past the main lounge, down the spiral staircase, and right to the heavy double doors leading out to the courtyard.
He had just reached for the iron latch when a soft, cold voice cut through the darkness like a guillotine.
"And where, precisely, does Barusu think he is creeping off to at two in the morning?"
Subaru froze. Beatrice sighed softly on his shoulder.
Turning around slowly, Subaru found Ram leaning casually against the hallway pillar, her arms crossed over her maid apron, her crimson eyes glowing with absolute suspicion in the moonlight.
And right beside her stood Emilia, wearing a cozy white night shawl over her nightgown, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her fist.
"Subaru...?" Emilia blinked, looking at him in confusion. "Why are you up so late? And... why are you wearing your tracksuit and boots indoors?"
"Ah! Emilia-tan! Ram!" Subaru laughed nervously, striking a sudden, dramatic pose with his hands on his hips to cover his guilt. "What a coincidence! The two most beautiful flowers of the Mathers Manor blooming together under the moonlight!"
"Cut the pathetic flattery, Barusu," Ram said flatly, taking a step forward. "You look like a thief trying to steal vegetables from the garden. Explain yourself before I wake Roswaal-sama."
"Wait, Ram, let's hear him out first," Emilia said softly, stepping closer with a worried expression. "Subaru, you've been working so hard lately. Are you feeling unwell? Is your sleep being disturbed again?"
Subaru smoothed down his collar, clearing his throat as he smoothly deployed his prepared excuse.
"Actually, Emilia-tan, it's quite the opposite!" Subaru said with complete, unwavering confidence. “Ever since Me and Julius’s battle against Sloth the bastard decided to pull one on be before he died let call it a side effect.”
Ram narrowed her eyes. “A side effect”
"Precisely!" Subaru declared. “Before sloth died he muttered the words ‘Be Sloth’ and now I can sleep any more…more like my body barely requires any sleep at all and it only got enhanced after going to the Witches graveyard."
Emilia’s eyes went wide, her hands coming up to cover her mouth in shock. "The... the Witches' graveyard?! Subaru, you mean the Sanctuary? Was Petelgeuse's lingering spirit trying to curse you?!"
"A curse? Please," Beatrice chimed in smoothly, floating forward and folding her arms with an air of absolute, unshakeable authority. "Betty has examined Subaru's soul down to its very foundation, in fact. That slothful lunatic's desperate final words couldn't even scratch Subaru's gate, I suppose. It simply left his internal energy... hyper-stimulated. His body doesn't build fatigue at a normal rate anymore. Betty is accompanying him to ensure his excess mana drains properly through night training."
Ram stared between Beatrice and Subaru for three agonizing seconds. Her crimson eyes narrowed into sharp, dangerous slits, evaluating every inch of Subaru's relaxed posture and firm, steady stance.
"...Barusu," Ram said, her voice dropping into a low, flat thread. "If you are using some ridiculous Witch-related excuse just to shirk your morning chores, Ram will personally see to it that your steamed potatoes are seasoned with poison."
"I would never shirk my duties to the estate, Ram! I'm offended you'd even suggest it!" Subaru placed a hand over his heart, gasping dramatically.
"Ram, please," Emilia whispered, tugging gently on her maid's sleeve before looking back at Subaru with soft, earnest eyes. "If Beatrice says his gate is safe, then I trust her. But Subaru... promise me you won't push yourself too hard in the dark. You've already done so much for everyone."
Subaru’s theatrical posture softened, replaced by a warm, genuine smile. "I promise, Emilia-tan. Just a quick session in the woods to burn off some steam. We'll be back way before sunrise."
"All right..." Emilia nodded, stepping back with a fond smile. "Don't stay out too late, okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it!"
With a final wave, Subaru slipped past the heavy oak doors and stepped out into the cool, crisp night air, Beatrice floating silently by his side.
Subaru:[Thank the Dragon that worked.]
Beatrice: [Betty thinks we need to be careful around the oni maid I suppose. She definitely suspected Something]
Subaru:[Subaru: [Yeah, Ram's intuition is terrifying. Good thing you played along, Beako!]
Beatrice: [Hmph! It is only natural that Betty's intellect eclipses that maid's narrow suspicions, in fact. Now hurry, the night will not last forever, I suppose.]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Deep within the eastern woods of the Mathers domain, the canopy grew thick, shutting out the moonlight and leaving the forest floor shrouded in dense, misty shadows.
“Where is this stupid archway?” Subaru said moving some vines out of his face as he munched on a Chocolect bar he’d gotten from a mystery box.
Beatrice gave him a look clearly showing that this was not the first time he had complained about this.
“I know, I know” he said as he stepped past a line of moss-covered pine trees until he finally found it: The Old Stone Archway.
It was an ancient, crumbling ruin—two tall granite pillars connected by a cracked stone beam, completely overgrown with wild vines and glowing forest fungi. Under normal circumstances, it was just a forgotten piece of history.
“Finally.” he breathed out as he reached into his inventory with a thought and pulled out the cold iron E-Rank Dungeon Key.
The moment the key came within a few feet of the archway, the glowing blue runes etched into its surface flared to life. The empty space beneath the stone archway began to ripple like the surface of a disturbed pond.
A swirling vortex of pale crimson and deep blue spatial energy erupted inside the archway, casting eerie light across the surrounding trees.
Subaru drew the Segmented Serpent Whip-Sword from his inventory. As he turned to look at Beatrice, she looked at him with a look of concern.
“Beako” bending down Subaru put a hand on Beatrice's shoulder as a warm smile appeared on his face.
“Don’t worry beatrice if the monsters are too strong for me I’ll come straight back alright after all a quick peek would hurt?”
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru was mistaken.
Knock, Knock!
“Where the fuck did this wall come!!?”
He banged on the invisible wall as he watched as on the other side of the translucent barrier, the shadowy tree line of the Mathers forest was visible, but blurred—like looking through heavy glass underwater. Beatrice was throwing her weight against the outside of the archway, her tiny fists pounding frantically against the wall, her mouth moving in panicked screams that Subaru couldn't hear a single syllable of.
"Beako! Beako, can you hear me?!" Subaru yelled, banging both fists against the barrier until his knuckles bruised. "Dammit! Open up! System, What the hell is this?”
[You cannot leave the dungeon. You must either kill the boss or use a teleportation stone.]
Subaru stared at the floating blue text, the cold reality settling over his shoulders like a lead blanket.
“Are you shitting me.” he muttered, his breath hitching as he looked back at the blurred image of Beatrice. She was crying out for him, her butterfly-patterned eyes wide with pure terror—the terror of a spirit who had spent four hundred years alone in a closed room, now watching her contractor vanish behind an impassable wall.
Subaru slapped both of his hands against his cheeks—SMACK!—the sting anchoring his racing pulse.
"Get it together, Natsuki Subaru," he whispered to himself, his jaw clenching tight. "You promised her a quick peek. If you sit here crying, she's going to tear the entire forest apart with Yin magic and Roswaal will definitely notice."
Hoping this would work he blew hot breath on the invisible barrier as it fogged he wrote the message “I’ll defeat this boss and i’ll be Right back alright.” Turning around from the barrier he quickly ran deeper into the dark, mist-shrouded ruins of the instance dungeon.
The atmosphere here was thick and oppressive, smelling heavily of damp moss, old blood, and raw, wild mana. Massive, corrupted roots twisted around shattered stone pillars, and high above, a fake blood-red moon hung suspended in a pitch-black sky.
[Ping!~]
[UNALLOCATED STAT POINTS DETECTED: 21]
[Would you like to assign your Stat Points before engaging? Y/N]
"System, put 11 points into Strength and 10 points into Agility," Subaru commanded in a low, focused voice.
If he was trapped in here alone without Beatrice's spell support, he needed raw speed and hit-hard power right now.
====================================================================
[STATS UPDATED]
Strength: 19 -> 30 Vitality: 17
Agility: 17 -> 27 Sense: 17
Stamina: 18 Intelligence: 17
====================================================================
Subaru leapt into the canopy, his boots digging into the mossy bark of a giant corrupted pine. The canopy shut out what little ambient light existed, leaving the forest ruins shrouded in thick, blood-red mist.
Below him, rustling foliage gave away a pack of five Horned Forest Rats scenting the air.
"Target acquired," Subaru muttered under his breath.
[Skill Activated: Dash - Lv. 1]
SWOOSH!
Subaru dropped from the branch like a plummeting stone. Mid-air, he flicked his wrist. The internal mana wire inside the Vollachian blade hissed, releasing its locked segments into a five-meter steel serpent.
WHIP-CRACK!
The extended Elgina scales cut through the misty air with a razor-sharp hum, sweeping through three of the rats in a single, fluid arc before they even knew he was above them. Black blood sprayed onto the damp earth as all three bisected bodies dissolved into shimmering blue particles.
====================================================================
[You have defeated a Horned Forest Rat.]
[You have defeated a Horned Forest Rat.]
[You have defeated a Horned Forest Rat.]
====================================================================
The remaining two rats screeched, their spiraling forehead horns glowing with dark red mana as they lunged together.
Subaru landed in a low crouch, snapped his wrist back—SHRRK!—locking the whip-sword flush into its rigid short-sword form. He thrust forward twice with blinding speed.
STAB! SLASH!
====================================================================
[You have defeated a Horned Forest Rat.]
[You have defeated a Horned Forest Rat.]
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
====================================================================
"A level up already?!" Subaru grinned, checking his interface.
====================================================================
NAME: Natsuki Subaru LEVEL: 9
Job: None
Class: Sage Candidate
Sub–CLASS: Spirit Knight TITLE: None
HP: 280 / 280 MP: 80 / 80
====================================================================
[STATS]
Strength: 31 Vitality: 18
Agility: 28 Sense: 18
Stamina: 19 Intelligence: 18
Affinity: 217
[Unallocated Stat Points:0]
====================================================================
He knelt down where the rats had dissolved, discovering glowing item drops resting on the damp moss: five long, bone-white Horned Rat Tusks.
He reached out his hand: "Acquire."
====================================================================
[ITEM: HORNED RAT TUSK]
Category: Miscellaneous
Description: Sharp bone horn from a dungeon rat. Can be sold
in the System Shop.
====================================================================
‘I can access it already?’Subaru's eyes widened before opening the shop.
A crisp, neon-green holographic window snapped open in his field of vision. Selecting [SELL], Subaru unloaded the five tusks for 15 Gold each, bumping his balance to 75 Gold.
"Awesome. Now let's see how far this forest goes."
For the next two hours, Subaru hunted deeper into the dark, ruined grove.
As he pushed past shattered stone obelisks and ancient overgrown courtyard pillars, the monsters grew larger and more aggressive. Packs of Bramble-Spine Prowlers—corrupted, panther-like beasts with dark wooden bark for armor—ambushed him from the tree shadows.
GRRRRAAAR!
Three Prowlers pounced simultaneously from three different directions.
To Subaru's heightened senses the attack moved in agonizing slow motion. He could see the sway of the mist around their claws, the angle of their leaps, the exposed joint behind their wooden hides.
He stepped smoothly inside the leap of the central Prowler, wrapping the extended whip-sword around its neck in mid-air, using his 30+ Strength to slam the beast directly into the two trailing monsters.
BOOM!
The collision shattered stone pillars and tore up the earth. Subaru retracted the blade into sword mode and executed three precise, lethal executions before they could recover.
[Ping!~]
[You have acquired Title: Grove Exterminator]
====================================================================
[TITLE: GROVE EXTERMINATOR]
A title granted to those who purge corrupted forest beasts.
Effect: All attributes increase by 40% when engaging
beast and plant-type monsters.
====================================================================
====================================================================
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
====================================================================
By the time Subaru reached the central flooded ruins of the instance dungeon, his stats had hit Level 15. The basic forest prowlers no longer yielded meaningful EXP.
====================================================================
NAME: Natsuki Subaru LEVEL: 15
Job: None
Class: Sage Candidate
Sub–CLASS: Spirit Knight TITLE: Grove Exterminator
HP: 1,450 / 1,450 MP: 280 / 280
====================================================================
[STATS]
Strength: 37 Vitality: 24
Agility: 34 Sense: 24
Stamina: 25 Intelligence: 24
Affinity: 217
[Unallocated Stat Points:0]
====================================================================
Subaru paused at the edge of an ancient, sunken stone amphitheater submerged in dark, knee-deep water. In the center stood a colossal, decaying world-tree root.
His Sense stat vibrated violently. A suffocating, heavy pressure weighed down on his shoulders.
Something massive is resting under that tree root.
Subaru licked his dry lips, gripping the dark Vollachian dragon-scale hilt with both hands.
FFFSSSHHH!
The dark water erupted.
A colossal, terrifying fusion of shadow and wood burst into the moonlight—a thirty-foot-tall, six-legged beast made of corrupted, iron-hard heartwood and razor-sharp obsidian scales, with twin spiraling horns glowing with sickly purple mana.
Above its towering head, deep crimson letters burned against the blood-red sky:
[Iron-Bark Chimera: King of the Ruined Grove]
GROOOOAAAAR!
The Chimera unleashed a deafening roar that shattered the surrounding stone pillars, firing a stream of corrosive purple mana straight at Subaru!
[Skill Activated: Dash - Lv. 1]
SWOOSH!
Subaru vanished from his position just as the purple beam vaporized the stone ledge behind him into ash.
He re-emerged on top of a fallen pillar twenty feet in the air, his eyes locked on the boss.
"Blade slashes won't break that iron-bark armor," Subaru analyzed rapidly. "I need to hit it with my Fist!”
Subaru flicked his wrist, releasing the whip-sword into its 5-meter whip mode—CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!
He hurled the whip straight over the Chimera’s massive spiraling horns. The flexible mana wire bound tightly around the beast's head. Planting his boots against the wooden pillar, Subaru yanked back with all 37 points of Strength!
"Get down here!" Subaru roared.
The massive Chimera let out an astonished screech as Subaru's raw physical power actually pulled its multi-ton frame off-balance, slamming its heavy head into the shallow water with a colossal SPLASH!
Subaru leaped directly onto the boss's wooden snout. He retracted the whip-sword, stowing it into his inventory, and drew back his bare right fist.
The air distorted around his knuckles from sheer physical force.
"This is for keeping me away from Beako!"
THWAK! KRAAK!
Subaru’s fist slammed into the center of the Chimera's forehead plate like a siege engine. The iron-hard bark armor fractured, spitting black blood and blue sparks.
GROOOAAR!
The beast thrashed frantically, trying to throw him off, but Subaru planted his knees onto its snout, pouring his entire body weight and stat points into a rapid-fire bombardment of concussive right hooks.
THWAK! THWAK! BOOM!
With a final, devastating blow, the crown of the Chimera's head collapsed completely.
The giant monster shuddered, let out a fading whimper, and dissolved into millions of glittering blue digital particles that rained down over the flooded amphitheater.
====================================================================
[YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE BOSS: Iron-Bark Chimera!]
====================================================================
[EXP Gained: +1,500]
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
====================================================================
[DUNGEON CLEAR BONUS REWARDS]
Item: [Chimera's Obsidian Dagger]
Item: [Heartwood Core]
Gold: +3,500
====================================================================
====================================================================
[DUNGEON CLEAR CONDITION MET]
Instance Dungeon Barrier: Dissolving...
Return Portal Generated.
====================================================================
A brilliant pillar of white light materialized in the center of the ruined amphitheater.
Subaru caught the glowing, obsidian-edged dagger that floated down into his hand, admiring its razor sharpness before sliding it into his inventory.
"Level 17..." Subaru breathed out, wiping sweat from his brow with a weary but triumphant smile. "Not bad for a late-night stroll."
He stepped firmly into the white portal.
SWOOSH!
The oppressive blood-red sky and heavy mana stench vanished, instantly replaced by the cool, crisp, pine-scented night air of the real Mathers forest.
Subaru stumbled out onto the damp grass beneath the ancient stone archway.
"Subaru!!"
Before he could regain his footing, a tiny, soft hurricane slammed violently into his waist.
Subaru crashed backward onto the soft moss. Beatrice was clinging to his tracksuit collar with both hands, her head buried against his chest, her small shoulders shaking uncontrollably as tears soaked through his shirt.
"You absolute, irredeemable idiot, in fact!" Beatrice sobbed, her tiny fists pounding futilely against his ribs. "You lying, foolish contractor! You said a quick peek! You said you would come right back! Four hundred years... Betty waited four hundred years, and then you vanished behind that cursed wall!"
Subaru froze, a deep pang of guilt hitting his heart. He wrapped his arms securely around her tiny frame, pulling her close and resting his chin atop her head.
"I'm sorry, Beako," Subaru said softly, gently stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry. The wall locked automatically the second I stepped through. I didn't mean to leave you waiting."
"Betty tried to smash it! Betty almost summoned Al Shamak to rip the barrier open!" she cried, wiping her nose against his sleeve. "If you ever leave Betty behind a wall like that again, I will throw you into the sun, I suppose!"
"I promise. Never again," Subaru smiled warmly, sitting up and using his thumbs to gently wipe the tears from her red-rimmed eyes. "Look at me. I'm completely fine. I survived."
Beatrice sniffled, pressing her palm against his chest to scan his gate and physical condition with her magic. Her butterfly-patterned eyes widened in genuine shock as she felt the dense, surging reservoir of raw physical power thrumming through his muscles.
"...Your baseline strength," Beatrice whispered, blinking in astonishment. "It's completely different from two hours ago. How did you...?"
"Told you I'd come back stronger," Subaru smirked, standing up and brushing the damp soil off his tracksuit before checking the horizon. The first pale violet hues of dawn were just beginning to tint the eastern sky. "I got the stats I need to make sure nobody pushes us around."
He offered his hand down to her.
"Come on, Beako. Let me carry you back before Ram notices my bed is empty and sets up an execution squad."
Beatrice stared at his outstretched hand, huffing softly as she wiped away the last of her tears. She reached out and grabbed his hand tightly, refusing to let go for even a second.
"Hmph. If the maid catches us, Betty will tell her you kidnapped me, in fact," she muttered softly as they turned together toward the path back to the estate.
[The End of Chapter 3: The First Descent]